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How to Reuse Wine Corks Around Your Home

Wine corks arranged neatly
johan.lebedevski/Shutterstock.com

If you’re like most wine lovers, you probably have a few wine corks lying around your house. If you’re not keeping them for sentimental value, you’ve probably been saving them for the perfect DIY project that you haven’t come across yet. We’ve got some good news: there are tons of ways that you can repurpose wine corks around your home. Here are some of our favorite ideas.

Make a Corkboard

As the name implies, wine corks can be turned into an excellent DIY corkboard. You have a lot of flexibility here in terms of how you want to arrange the corks. One way you can tackle this project is to use an alternating pattern, shown in the video above, for a cool geometric look.

You can also arrange the corks in a circular pattern, have them all facing the same direction, or whatever other pattern suits your fancy. Use this corkboard to hold notes, photos, or even jewelry. It can also be useful when hung on the refrigerator for keeping track of grocery lists.

Amazon Basics Push Pins

Use these to pins notes and lists to your new corkboard.

Design Coasters

Protect your furniture from water rings with DIY cork coasters. All you need for this project are a few wine corks and some hot glue. The creator in the video above recommends boiling your corks first to soften them up, then cutting them in half and gluing the pieces together to create a useful coaster.

If you want to get a little bit fancier, you can also decorate your coasters with paint. Add a layer of sealing spray once you’re done decorating to protect your design.

JoyJolt Faye 13oz Highball Glasses

Put your new coasters to use with these simple glasses.

Craft a Candle Holder

Turn your wine corks into beautiful candle holders with this easy DIY project. First, gather up enough corks to surround the entire circumference of a glass jar. You can use any size or shape jar that you like. Once you have your corks, hot glue them to the jar in any pattern that you like.

Then, add a candle to the inside of the jar. When it’s lit, the candlelight will shine through the holes in the cork and create a lovely effect. This would make a great centerpiece for a dinner party or romantic evening at home. You can also paint or decorate the corks however you want for added personality.

Stonebriar 100-Pack Unscented Tea Light Candles

Place these tea candles in your new candleholder.

Create a Cork Wreath

A cork wreath is a great way to repurpose wine corks and add some festive flair to your home. This project is a bit more time-consuming than some of the others on this list, but it’s worth the effort.

To make a cork wreath, you’ll need a wire wreath frame, hot glue, and a whole lot of wine corks. Once you have all of your supplies, start by gluing the corks to the wreath frame in any pattern that you like. It can be helpful to lay them out beforehand so that you know how many you need and what kind of pattern you want to create.

Once all of the corks are glued on, you can add any additional decorations that you like. This could include ribbons, bows, fake flowers, or anything else that you can think of.

Surebonder GM-160 Mini High Temperature Glue Gun

Use this to glue your corks together.

Put Together a Bath Mat

A bath mat made out of wine corks is both practical and stylish. This project is pretty involved, but it’s definitely doable. To make a wine cork bath mat, you’ll need to gather up a bunch of corks, a rug pad, and a hot glue gun.

Once you have all of your supplies, start by gluing the corks together in rows on the rug pad. It may help to cut the corks in half so they are easier to keep stable when gluing flat-side down. Make sure that the corks are tightly packed together so that there are no gaps. Let everything dry and your mat will be ready to use.

Ophanie Non Slip Rug Pad Extra-Thick Rug Pad

Build your bath mat on this rug pad.

Design a Keychain

This may be the simplest project on this list, but it’s also one of the most practical. A wine cork keychain is a great way to reuse those corks and add some personality to your keys.

To make a wine cork keychain, all you need is a wine cork, a key ring, and an eye screw. You can also add extra charms or beads if you want. Simply screw in the eye screw to the cork, attach your key ring to the loop, and you’re done! You can also decorate the cork with paint or beads before gluing it on to really show off your personality.

Build Garden Markers

If you’re a gardener, these garden markers made from wine corks are a must-have. They’re easy to make and they’ll help you keep track of what’s growing where.

To make garden markers, all you need is a sharpie, some wooden skewers, and wine corks. Simply write the name of the plant or herb that you’re growing on the cork with the sharpie, then insert the skewer into the cork. You can also add beads or charms to dress them up a bit.

These markers are great for indoor or outdoor plants. They’re also weather-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about them fading or falling apart.

HOPELF 6 Natural Bamboo Skewers

Craft your garden markers with these skewers.

Form a Flower Vase

This flower vase made from wine corks is a great way to add some rustic charm to your home. It’s also surprisingly easy to make.

The tutorial above recommends using about 40 wine corks that are all about the same size. Using a hot glue gun, form them into a cube. If you want a taller vase, simply make more cube shapes and glue them on top of each other. Line the bottom of the vase with a piece of foam or more corks.

FLOFARE Pack of 6 Floral Foam Blocks

Use this styrofoam if you want to create long-lasting fake bouquets.


Don’t let that wine cork pile get any bigger. These easy DIY projects are a great way to upcycle those corks and add some personal flair to your home.

Anne Taylor Anne Taylor
Anne Taylor is a writer with a BA in Journalism and a passion for storytelling. Her work has been published on a variety of websites including Mental Floss and Well + Good, and she recently published her first novel, What it Takes to Lose. When she's not writing, Anne loves to travel (19 countries and counting), spend time outside, and play with her dog, Pepper. Read Full Bio »
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